Well hello all! I am a working Mom of 3 boys (3, 5, and 7) married to a wonderful guy for the last 8 years. I had asked my regular doctor about a BR about a year ago and was referred to a PS. Once in his office, and we finished speaking about the BR, I had made a comment that I was not a fan of having my tummy sit in my lap...that should be where my children get to park...not my gut ;) So that was the real beginning of my journey.
After leaving the office, and having been told that it could take anywhere for 9-12 months to hear back from the health department of the government as to how much if any of the cost of the BR would be covered, I pretty much put the whole thing out of my mind...until the phone call around Christmas time that started the whole ball rolling again. I found out that the BR was covered, the lipo with relation to the BR was not, and that a small portion of the panus removal would be covered as well! I felt like I had hit the lottery!
So I booked a date for just the BR, hemmed and hawed for a while, then called the office back and decided to do both proceedures. Now I am trying to figure out how to explain to my boys that they will have to be very careful around me for a bit, which I know will be hard for them all, as they are very typical little boys full of spunk and energy! Any thoughts would be awesome :D I will post pics as soon as I can bring myself to have them taken! I know that I have appreciated looking at other people's photo journeys, so I will step up to the plate and git-r-done...
Updated on 10 Apr 2012:
Okey ladies...here is some pics...they are so the most flattering pictures I have ever been a part of (heavy sarcasm!) LOL but I know that once the surgery is over and I can actually take a look at my own before and afters it will be worth it then :D
So I had to go to a specialist appointment today to have a mole looked at, which the doc removed BTW, nothing like starting the piece by piece removal of parts of me now :D But that is done, anywho on the drive I was thinking and realized that while I am 5'7" and currently weigh around 210-212lbs (I know, I know...not my ideal weight but it is one that I have stayed at for over a year with very little fluctuation.) I weighed just before I gave birth to our youngest, 289lbs!!!! OMFG! I never really thought about it before, I mean, not really...so that would mean that I have lost around 77-79 lbs in the last 2 years! WOW That was a real eye opener for me...I am sooo looking forward to the end result, thought still freaked out about the reality of the porceedures.
Until next time.Updated on 12 Apr 2012:So, I got my confirmation call yesterday and after finally settling my nerves down and now they are al jumping again :) ah well, comes with the territory. Still trying to get things collects, the items stagedx that need to be to get the kidos all set for their events for the first couple of days...like pack the swimming bags, etc...At the beginning of the week I knew that it would be some crazy days, but they are really whipping by right now! OMG...only 6 days left to go and then a whole new look. ANyway, I should jump off thie wicked addicting site and finish up some laundry :0) Have a great evening everyone.Updated on 13 Apr 2012:Well, today has been a whirlwind of a day. RIght now is about the first time that I'm sitting still since we bolted out of the house this morning at 7am. I'm actually very tired today which is strange for me. Typically I do not really slow down long enough to sit still for any length of time. But I'm taking 5 to get caught up on here :) THe next days prior surgery are going to be crazy busy, and that is just with life stuff, not even anything to be getting readyf or Wednesday. WOw are the days flying by! Only 4 more days left! Still feeling nervous and still have the second guessing, definately not sleeping well for the nerves..but I keep telling myself that I will have an opportunity to rest soon enough. I can't seem to pick up enough magazines or books...it's weired...I suppose I'll be catcching up on some reading shortly ;)Updated on 14 Apr 2012:Well, this afternoon I finally stopped my boys long enough to let them know that Mom is going for a surgery and that when the see me after, that I will have a big bandage and some tubes sticking out of me. SO far they kind of brushed over that and latched on to the fact that they are going to spend a night with grandma and grandpa. On a school night even :) I'm sure they will have questions after. My Dh was changing the bandage on my stitches from a mole that I had removed, and all of them were in there like a dirty shirt checking it out. My boys are more visual right now. My younger two didn't like th fact that they will have to be super careful not to jump on me, but they were busy divying up jobs they are going to do to "help" dad take care of me. One said he's making me my coffee, one is on Jello duty and the thrid said he's on soup duty. Should be interesting times :) Anywho, I'm tired out from having 2 other families and there kidos over this evening for dinner and should hit the sack. Tomorrow is yet another crazy day filled with little people birthday parties and such.Updated on 16 Apr 2012:Well, 2 more wake ups for me **GULP** today not feeling so calm...Just realized now much I still (feel like) I need to ge ready, more for the kids than for me though...trying to set up my parents for success if they have to keep the kids longer than one night...tried talking with DH about my fears, his expectations of what I will be able/not able to do for the next little bit...he just sat there and said that he'll take care of it...I am really starting to think that he is in severe avoidance mode right now...which doesn't make it any easier for me to try and cope when it feels like he just isn;t concerned about this at all...I am so full of fears today, real or imaginary...but like most women, I am a worrier...Will I live through the surgery....Will my surgeon do an awesome job....Will the kids be ok without me....WIll my parents be able to not disrupt their days too much...WIll my dad have a heart episode (he's been having weird heart attack like symptoms lately..though his doc is saying that it is "just" panic attacks)...Will the boys be ok at school...Will DH pull through and stop being an avoiding lump...arrgghhh....too many questions, with not enough answers right now...So much for my calm...Well at least tomorrow will be super busy and I will not have the opportunity to worry too much during the day...Working all day tomorrow, then right away off to M+D's for supper, then bolt back to the school with the 2 big kids for parent teacher, then back to M+D's to drop them off for the night...then home to put a bag together for myself for the ride home...then hopefully off to bed before the surgery on Wednesday...whew...that was a lot of thoughts all at once...I should hit the sack...getting tired...finally after about 3 weeks :) I'm not much of a sleeper at the best of times..Updated on 23 Apr 2012:Hey there Ladies!
FInally made it to the computer 5 days PO...sorry it took so long :)
After the waiting it really hasn't been all that bad. OK So recap...Went in for surgery last Wednesday (april 18). Surgery lasted 4 hours and I had my BR with under the arm lipo for shaping, and full TT.
I went into surgery in a buttoned pj shirt that was busting :) and came out with my button pj shirt closed nicely with swelling and bandages :D . As for the TT, doc said thathe repaired my muscle seperation which was about 2 1/2 - 3inches wide, found a thin section of abdominal muscle that he said would have herniated in short order and reinforced that as well. In total removed about 3 kilos (about 6.6 pounds). I still have yet to get a real good look at his work.
Though he did say the first time he came around post surgery that "I am going to love it" PRobably the best words I could have heard at that moment.
Had all of my drains taken out on the Friday (april20) and what a relief! I honestly don't know how you ladies can have them is for so long!!! Most of my discomfort came from the drains and drain sites so I was more than glad to be rid of them.
Saturday DH tried to help me have a shower and as much as I wanted it...I think it was still a bit too soon...not a fun experience for me at all..not at all..after it was all said and done, and me medicaed again...it felt devine...but the process to get there...not so much!
I stopped taking the heavy duty pain killers last night and have been nicely living with extra strength tylenol and all is good! The worst part for me, is that I'm such an "on the go" kind of person so the hanging out and doing not much is gettnig hard to take.
I have had a busy today though...washed my own hair, did a load of laundry (with help from my Mom who stopped by this afternoon), fed myself, and tidied up a little bit...It feels good to be doing something that's for sure...even sat out on the deck for a little while to change scenery and catch some natural vitamin D.
All in all would i do this again if I wanted to...YES...Does the first bit really suck...YES...but each day gets better and easier which is all that counts.
I will post pics as soon as I can! I can't wait to look at the before and afters of ME.
:)
Hope you all are having a wonderful today! Happy healing and caliming thoughts to you all.Updated on 27 Apr 2012:Good Morning!
I had another followup on Wednesday. So far all is great. no infection, healing well. THe nurse of my PS clipped some of the knots from the stitches in my belly button and that has greatly decrased my discomfort in that area...she didn't remove the stitches, but took the "scratchy bits off. I get to have that done next week as well for the rest. Gotta say, the knots on my hips are the ones that are driving me nuts now as I have been sleeping on my side for a few days and they kind of dig in.
I'm feeling pretty good, only on tylenol extra strength when I remember to take it...not bad considering that I'm only 9 days out :) So glad about that! I'm not a fan of medication, but I do understand the value of it. The boys are all back to being my boys, which is wonderful and frusterating at the same time.
I started making a shopping list of clothes that I'll need to replace, and if I can ever get some level of energy that lasts more than 15 minutes that is going to be a fun shopping trip:) Hope you all are having a wonderful day today. I think I'll head out and enjoy a cup of coffee on the deck in the sunshine.Updated on 2 May 2012:Hello Ladies!
Well today is officially me 14 days PO. Feeling awesome! Just got back from my PS office and had another check. Had the ends of my stitches and any that were sticking out clipped and was cleared for an excercise bra, spanx, and silicone cream once the last of the scabs fall away. So excited about that! As much as I have come to rely on my compression garments, it will be nice to put something on that is a little bit less bulky so that I can begin to look more like the new me, without all the bulk. So that being said, what is everyone's recommendations with regards to the silicone creams? or sheets? Which have you found to be better? and where do you get them from? My PS office also sells a silicone cream, but seeing as I won't be back to the city for a month for my next check up and I wasn't interested in buying it today...no use having something taking up space when I don't need it yet, I figured if I ordered it online, then at least I would get it when I need it :) Anywho, so excited for the next steps! I will post pics tomorrow! TTYL!Updated on 11 May 2012:Hey all...so...I'm not too sure how I feel today. Kinda not great. The last couple of days I think that I over did things and now that is haunting me. I know that I am only 3 weeks PO, but because I was feeling so much better, I ended up taking on too much at once. My tummy is screaming at me now and so therefore I am going to try and take it easier this weekend. I also am going to update my pics on this 3 week aniversary. Please ladies let me know what you think...I still have the buldges on the hip incisions, but I suppose that is swelling. It seriously looks like one breast is way largr than the other, which sucks. I did have a diference pre-surgery, but was hoping that I would be more "even" if you will after. Feeling kinda bummed out especially after looking at the pictures. I just want to cry :( Anyhow, for the most part my incision are looking good, though my belly button is still pretty gross, it doesn't hurt though, and it isn't oozing so I;m not concerned with infection...could be that my body in that area is not happy with having the stitches there...anyway, I hope you all are having a great today. And if I don't post on Sunday, Happy Mom's Day to you all!!Updated on 17 May 2012:Hey Girlies,
I just updated my pics for 4 weeks PO. Just as a side note, I have also lost 12 pounds since the moment before surgery...so 6 pounds from surgery and another 6 on my own! upper excited. It has inspired me to keep watching my portions and staying away from the pop (which is a HUGE win for me...I LOVE my Pepsi!) It is starting to look like I just might break the 200lb mark before I return to work! Now how cool is that! I am super duper excited! I haven't been below 200lbs since durng my first pregnancy and that was 8+ years ago! AH WOO HOO!!!